:shock:
I have no idea how to choose what theme camp to join....
If you have suggestions or are also indecisive and confused feel free to post here.

I'm a 24 year old female from Florida. This is my second Burning Man last year I was adopted by the 4077 Nude. I am a writer and artist. I intend to bring some of my work this year. I am a vegetarian, but not vegan. I also plan to cover my naked body in poems and be painted everyday. I work as a bartender and can contribute SOME drinks, I however don't drink. I maybe have a drink 1-3 times a month, but I'm abstaining at the burn. I am very sensitive and consider myself a goth/hippie/hipster/lounge lizard/nerd/enviromentalist/fetishist/bohemian
weirdo. I get my feelings hurt very easily, and can be a bit flakey but I am never intentionally mean to good people. I like to help in my own way. I am interested in all forms of art, spirituality (though I'm an atheist, go figure), sexuality, nature, and the dark side of things as well. I'm very complex. I have a great sense of humor and relate to Goddesses like Kali and Artemis. I have asperger's, PTSD, and schizoaffective disorder. So, I have trouble meeting new people and being social. I am looking to find my balance.
Dirge
PS. Be nice

Welcome! I fit into many of the categories you list as well. It took me a few tries to find a group I fit in with. Fit in as well as I'm able, anyway.

What was it about the 4077 that makes you not want to stay with them again? Is there a particular vibe that you're looking for?

I tend to do better when there's a task to perform, so I found (mostly) local groups who were assembling a project that sounded cool and needed helpers. Since you already have some things you plan to bring, maybe try to find a group bringing similar art? You can share resources and experiences.

:D
It's always good to meet a kindred or semi-kindred spirit. I like to help too, but I also like to have plenty of time to do my own thing and just be. A camp where I can contribute, but the schedule would be flexible or if I could create art before the burn and bring it with me. I enjoyed staying with the 4077, but they just adopted me because I was stranded. It's a camp for nudist black rock rangers. I didn't know much about the theme camps. I read about them, but I didn't really understand. I also thought I was prepared, but by the second day I realised I didn't want to eat anymore warm protein powder and water. I also forgot a hat, coconut oil (for my hair), nasal spray, heavy clothing. This year I am going to come more prepared. I'm also intending to bring things like chapstick and natural oils to share.

Most groups tend to be flexible with how much they require of volunteers. The main thing seems to be to follow through when you say you can do something.

Theme camps are the bigger and sometimes more organized groups. There's plenty of other smaller groups of people camping together who haven't felt the need to turn their camp into an attraction. Finding them is not always easy, but if you have out here, on Tribe, and craigslist you may see a call for volunteers that seems up your alley. I find groups of around 20 people to be just about right. Less and they notice you spending a lot of time alone (and misinterpret it) more and cliques form that can be hard to break into.

Burning Man is a weird place for aspies - it kind of goes back and forth between being the best place possible and the worst place possible.

First and foremost, it's worth pointing out that you don't need to be part of a theme camp at all. Maybe that's why you're having a hard time deciding. And for that matter, you don't need to be part of any camp, theme or not. That's not really my cup of tea, but it is at least one of the options to consider.

Second, what Dork said.

Third, if you haven't already perused the theme camp list from last year, or some of the listings on tribe.net as well as the forums here, then give those places a click and see if something catches your eye. Then just get in touch with the contact and see if they're planning to come to the playa in 2007, and if they're interested in adding to their numbers. Sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on yourself, your abilities, and what you can realistically contribute, which is better than most.

MikeVDS wrote:Some people are simple, some are complex. Being complex you may have trouble finding a match with a simple description.

Maybe I'm too stoned.. Maybe I'm too simple minded.. But for the life of me I can't figure out what the hell you just said.

/me smacks himself silly

dirge wrote:I have asperger's, PTSD, and schizoaffective disorder.

I have no idea WTF they are but I hope you get better. I had my foot run over and I am just starting to get back to normal 6 months later. I have no idea WTF was wrong with myself either.. some neuropathy of nerves or some shit. I gave up on the retard docs and started healing myself by gettin off my fat ass and its been working wonders for the past couple weeks.

As far as themecamps go.. THEY ALL ROCK! I have appreciation for the small personal camps as much as the big ones. As far as the Rangers go they are a classy bunch of folks you can't go wrong chillin with. I'm camping with a bunch of crazy fuckos which may be too much for some to handle. I saw a few camps post ads here lookin for folks.. Snowflake was one that seemd like a nice place to chill. Since you're in FL you may want to check out Nothing Camp. Another FL camp is PlayaQ but they are a bunch of meat eaters so you may not connect to well as far as dietary preference goes. They both have yahoo groups you could join and check out. I haven't met any of the local burners but I hear that they are a great bunch of folks.

I was basically saying that it's hard to know who someone is based on a paragraph, so she shouldn't expect much from any information she finds here.

It must be pretty bad if you run around naked with poetry on you and you still have trouble meeting people. What type of people do you generally get along with? What are peoples main complaints about you?

MikeVDS wrote:I was basically saying that it's hard to know who someone is based on a paragraph, so she shouldn't expect much from any information she finds here.

It must be pretty bad if you run around naked with poetry on you and you still have trouble meeting people. What type of people do you generally get along with? What are peoples main complaints about you?

I see that now.. I thought you were trying to tell her she was doomed or something.

Not to say that she isn't doomed.. more like half doom.. doom for a day.. that sort of thing. You really can't go wrong running around naked, adding poetry will just do all the more to make you the life of the party.

You really don't have to join a theme camp.
I only ever had one place turn down my help, and they were just organized.
I know people that have had a hard time meeting people out there, but I have a hard time understanding it.
I could stay busy just trying to see everything.
And there is always a theme camp without enough spectators.
We could always drag you around and make you meet people.

"Everything is more wonderful when you do it with a car, don't you think?"
-girl by the fire, watching a tree moved by car bumper in the bonfire

It would be a shame if I had to resort to self-deception to preserve my faith in objective reality.

:P Its impossible to tell you who to join.
If However you are not wearing a hat you can always come to H.A.T.S. 2.o
and spin the wheel to cover your head with something.
UV rays are very harmful, come and get a hator whatever else is being peddled and hang with us.

How about a theme camp but not a theme camp????
Check out "Stag Camp". Fat Sam had the idea and I jumped right on it.
Loose knit. A bunch of prople going alone but being together. We're all friends but we haven't met yet